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For Immediate Release
September 9, 2008
Media Contact
- Allison Tratner
- 609.292.4524
- allison@arts.sos.state.nj.us
State Arts Council Announces Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest
Students Compete for the Chance to Win College Scholarships and Stipends for Books
(Trenton, NJ) All New Jersey public, charter, private and parochial high schools, and New Jersey home school associations are invited to participate in the annual New Jersey Poetry Out Loud (NJPOL) program for a new take on poetry and a chance to represent our state in a national competition. “I have a new found appreciation for the written word after my unforgettable experience with the Poetry Out Loud program,” said last year’s NJPOL state champion Allison Strong of Union Hill High School in Union City who went on to place among the top five in the nation and won a college scholarship and stipend for her school’s library.
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, along with its partners Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, Discover Jersey Arts, New Jersey Network, Rutgers/Camden Center for the Arts and the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs, cosponsor NJPOL which is part of the national program made possible through the funding and leadership of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Poetry Foundation.
Inaugurated four years ago, POL is now active in 50 states and two territories with more than 200,000 teens participating. The program encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance, which helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about our literary heritage. Last year 44 New Jersey high schools and over 5,000 students took part. “Poetry Out Loud challenges students of all levels and experience to find their unique voice and way of expressing themselves,” said Steve Runk, Arts Council executive director. “The transformation that happens when these students step out on stage is truly remarkable.”
All schools will follow the same pyramid competition structure, which begins at the classroom level. Winners advance to the school-wide competition, then to the regional competition and on to the state-wide competition which will take place in March, 2009 at New Jersey Network Studios. The winner of the state finals will be awarded $200 made possible by the NEA, and the chance to represent New Jersey on an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC to compete in the national championship. The state winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for purchase of poetry books. A runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. Additionally, the NEA will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and stipends to the winners at the National Finals.
Teachers are invited to find out more about NJPOL and to register to participate at jerseyarts.com by November 18, 2008. Once registered, teachers are provided with free multimedia curriculum materials – a poetry anthology, audio guide, teachers’ guide, posters and comprehensive web site, poetryoutloud.org – all aligned to national standards to augment their regular poetry curriculum with poetry recitation and a school-level competition. Additionally a variety of programs are available that supplement NJPOL including free teacher workshops and the opportunity to engage a master poet and performing artist through a residency grant to help teach students the depth, breadth and artistry of poetry recitation. All schools interested in a residency must register for NJPOL first. The deadline to apply for a NJPOL residency grant is October 15, 2008.
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